Need advice on commercial use please

[smaugnaut]

I wont hold anyone to what they say here.

My Engineering company is doing an incredible amount of work right now. The demand for aerial photos of completed Pwork has shot through the roof along with our Engineering business. What should i tell these people? At first i was like i cant but now i see everyone is using them for TV, real estate, Sports, everything. The use is now blatant and everywhere. I dont want to fall behind so should i join the masses in ignoring FAA commercial use BS? Im not asking for legal help just the likelihood the FAA catches me.

Smaugnaut

 

[MapMaker53]

I think if you fly as an "independent hobbyist" and have a receipt that shows the drone was purchased with your own personal credit card and delivered in your name to your home address and you fly at a sites with the site owners' permission, and you never indicate on any time sheet that you are flying the drone on company time, and provide your employer or client the photos or footage at no charge, and are a member of the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), I wouldn't be overly concerned about the FAA. Frankly, with so many large and small companies experimenting with drones now, I can't see how the FAA would ever have time to try to prosecute everyone. At this point, I think they just chose a few instances to see if the courts would side with them -- which I believe they haven't so far. Personally, I think as long as you use the drone in a safe and respectful manner, out of manned aircraft flight paths, and don't do anything stupid with it you'll be able to easily fly under the FAA radar without attracting a lot of attention. But that's just my opinion -- as a fellow hobbyist, of course.

 

[smaugnaut]

I think if you fly as an "independent hobbyist" and have a receipt that shows the drone was purchased with your own personal credit card and delivered in your name to your home address and you fly at a sites with the site owners' permission, and you never indicate on any time sheet that you are flying the drone on company time, and provide your employer or client the photos or footage at no charge, and are a member of the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), I wouldn't be overly concerned about the FAA. Frankly, with so many large and small companies experimenting with drones now, I can't see how the FAA would ever have time to try to prosecute everyone. At this point, I think they just chose a few instances to see if the courts would side with them -- which I believe they haven't so far. Personally, I think as long as you use the drone in a safe and respectful manner, out of manned aircraft flight paths, and don't do anything stupid with it you'll be able to easily fly under the FAA radar without attracting a lot of attention. But that's just my opinion -- as a fellow hobbyist, of course.

Thank you for your opinion and advice. I do have all those qualifications except the AMA membership. I think i will be able to fly under the radar and I have decided to do so after sleeping on it. Im just going to blend in so to speak with everyone else doing it. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[hunch]

get an AMA NOW!

if you crash and cause damage it's out of your pocket, with AMA membership ($58 a year) you are covered up to $2.500.000 in damages.

 

[msinger]

If you want to do this work legally (and openly advertise your services), you should request FAA approval. You can find more information at the following link:

http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_prog ... a_petition

 

[phantomguy]

I think if you fly as an "independent hobbyist" and have a receipt that shows the drone was purchased with your own personal credit card and delivered in your name to your home address and you fly at a sites with the site owners' permission, and you never indicate on any time sheet that you are flying the drone on company time, and provide your employer or client the photos or footage at no charge, and are a member of the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), I wouldn't be overly concerned about the FAA. Frankly, with so many large and small companies experimenting with drones now, I can't see how the FAA would ever have time to try to prosecute everyone. At this point, I think they just chose a few instances to see if the courts would side with them -- which I believe they haven't so far. Personally, I think as long as you use the drone in a safe and respectful manner, out of manned aircraft flight paths, and don't do anything stupid with it you'll be able to easily fly under the FAA radar without attracting a lot of attention. But that's just my opinion -- as a fellow hobbyist, of course.

I completely agree with this

 

[Meta4]

If you want to do this work legally (and openly advertise your services), you should request FAA approval. You can find more information at the following link:
http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_prog ... a_petition

If you knew how many approvals the FAA has given, you wouldn't bother to suggest that.
There have been only slightly more FAA approvals given than unicorns have been sighted this century.
If you looked at who they have given approvals to and how hard it was for those companies, you would understand it is pointless for any ordinary Phantom flyer applying.

 

[slothead]

If you want to do this work legally (and openly advertise your services), you should request FAA approval. You can find more information at the following link:
http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_prog ... a_petition

If you knew how many approvals the FAA has given, you wouldn't bother to suggest that.
There have been only slightly more FAA approvals given than unicorns have been sighted this century.
If you looked at who they have given approvals to and how hard it was for those companies, you would understand it is pointless for any ordinary Phantom flyer applying.

What I have heard of is the granting of flight rights to five major movie companies by the FAA. No one else as far as I know.

 

[Meta4]

Before the more publicised Hollywood stuff, there was one for work on an arctic Alaskan oilfield
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcne ... il-fields/
And SDG&E has an interesting approval in San Diego County
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcne ... y-company/
Both are in remote ares and come with heavy restrictions.
The Hollywood exemptions require licensed pilots to fly the camera drones!!
None of this is of any help to Phantom owners.
For all intents and purposes the FAA has a total ban on commercial use.

 

[msinger]

If you want to do this work legally (and openly advertise your services), you should request FAA approval. You can find more information at the following link:
http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_prog ... a_petition

If you knew how many approvals the FAA has given, you wouldn't bother to suggest that.
There have been only slightly more FAA approvals given than unicorns have been sighted this century.
If you looked at who they have given approvals to and how hard it was for those companies, you would understand it is pointless for any ordinary Phantom flyer applying.

Even though, this is the only way to get approval from the FAA to use a drone for commercial purposes. If running a legal operation is important to a company, then I'm sure they will have no problem taking the time to request exemption. The FAA does not have to grant exemption, but it's their duty to do so if the person filing for exemption can show that their operation will be as safe (or safer) than operations that are currently doing business under the existing regulations.

 

[Meta4]

Even though, this is the only way to get approval from the FAA to use a drone for commercial purposes. If running a legal operation is important to a company, then I'm sure they will have no problem taking the time to request exemption.

Just look at the facts ... it's too hard for Google or Amazon to get approval from the FAA.
It's ridiculous to imagine the OP or any other forum member could get it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcne ... gy-abroad/

 

[msinger]

Just look at the facts ... it's too hard for Google or Amazon to get approval from the FAA.
It's ridiculous to imagine the OP or any other forum member could get it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcne ... gy-abroad/

All companies are different though. Many who want to sell commercial services probably want to fly in relatively small, controlled areas that are free of all people. That is quite different than a company who wants to fly anywhere, in uncontrolled locations, carrying heavy payloads for delivery. This is why the FAA is allowing petitions to be submitted. Considering that their main job is to ensure all air space is safe, it would be pretty foolish of them to allow anyone with a drone to do whatever they want with it commercially.

I'm currently working on my petition. I'll follow up here when I hear back from the FAA.

BTW, your photos are amazing.

 

[Anon-e-mouse]

As others have stated you "technically" need FAA approval, and often they require you to have a commercial pilots license (That will take 6-12 months and around $25,000-$45,000). I am a licensed pilot myself and understand just how expensive it is to obtain your commercial pilots license. Consider talking to an attorney...

http://www.antonelli-law.com/Drone_UAS_ ... _Group.php

http://www.wileyrein.com/professionals. ... io&id=2201

http://www.pillsburylaw.com/unmanned-aircraft-systems



http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/ ... ular-risk/

 

[smaugnaut]

In my opinion, since the FAA has failed to implement rules governing UAV use by the time they actually do it will be way too late. I see people flying Phantoms all the time now like people used to fly kites back in the day. In another year or more i think they will be as common as a TV in every household especially since they will get cheaper and cheaper to make.